Pakistan Security Brief - July 31, 2009

Pakistan Security Brief - July 31, 2009�

Militants under the command of Gul Bahadur reportedly kidnapped ten members of Pakistan's Frontier Corps security forces from a fort near Razmak, North Waziristan; paramilitary forces constructing a checkpoint in North Waziristan were attacked by militants; security forces shelled suspected militant positions in Khyber agency on Thursday; the U.S. military will begin to shift Predator drone strikes in Afghanistan to target the Taliban and affiliated insurgents.

• U.S. government and defense officials reportedly indicated on Thursday that the military will begin openly targeting suspected Taliban locations with drone strikes on either side of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in cooperation with Pakistan's offensive in the region. Though there have already been numerous strikes in Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), this report marks a significant drone redeployment and a shift in attention towards the Taliban in Afghanistan and away from just al-Qaeda.[1]
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• Security forces in Bara tehsil of Khyber Agency shelled suspected militant positions in the area Friday, resulting in four civilian casualties. Meanwhile a raid on hideouts in the Charmang area of Bajaur agency led to the arrest of an unknown number of "suspected persons."[2]
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• Paramilitary forces building a checkpoint near Miramshah, North Waziristan on Friday were attacked by militants, resulting in the death of one soldier and the wounding of eight other people, including three civilians. The aggressors have not yet been identified.[3]
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• "Dozens of militants" under the command of North Waziristan Taliban commander Gul Bahadur swarmed the Girdi Rogha fort near Razmak Friday and kidnapped ten members of the Frontier Corps. The resulting exchange of fire reportedly lasted several hours and left three soldiers wounded.[4] �

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